Garden Tour Thursday

IZA:  Welcome to this weeks Garden Tour.  I have some nice flowers an stuff ta show!

The Stokes Aster that I showed ya the first one bloomin last weeks have got their act together and bloomed all at once.  TBT says they look a lot bluer ta him than they do ta US kittehs.  *I* like them cuz they seem indestructible, buggy-free and seem ta live forever.  They are older than I am.

And ya saw the first Coneflower opening last week?  Well, they are ALL bloomin happily now and should fer a couple months at least.   We are all really fond of sturdy perennials that bloom fer a long time.  No new werk each year!

The wildflower bed TBT threw seeds around on is finally flowering.  I was worried last month when there was just "one here, one there", but there are more flowers and types and colors each week.  nd since pollinator bugs like all those flowers, it looks like it may be a success.

This is another in the wildflower patch.  Its Queen Annes Lace.  It may have grown there on its own, since we have it around in the yard.  But it fits in.  Good butterfly catapillars like it.  And since the QAL and the 'pillars are used ta each other, both do fine.  Like, who doesnt want MORE butterflies?

This one is a surprise.   Its a regular lily, but it is one of many growing where they got dumped by TBT (even he doesnt remember why) many years ago in a shady place.  They like sun, but they are hard ta kill and have slowly expanded into some sunlight and THIS year one is blooming.  TBT promises ta rescue them and put them in a happier place!

These are some Astilbe that live around what used to be a 9' pond.  The pond has been dry for YEARS and they get no special watering or attention, but they are determined to survive.  TBT says he has a purrfect place for them where some red ones are growing and WILL move them this Fall.  They have never been so healthy before.  It must have been the wet Spring and June that made them do so well.  

The Hostas are blooming too.  The flowers arent much nor last long, its the leafs that are good in the deep shade.  But I admire the flowers when they are there fer a week.  And DO look at all the nice ferns growing around them...

We almost missed the Coreopsis blooms.  They bloomed the day after last weeks tour and are almost gone now.  They may be getting too much sun on the deck with the couple of trees gone and it gets hotter there now.  Ive told TBT he has to remember to adjust for such changes.

Since we are up on the deck now, here is a picture of a Caladium leaf unfolding.  I thought that planter was almost dead, and TBT was ready ta dump all the soil loose to replant it, but *I* saw a small shoot coming up and told him ta wait.  That Caladium OWES me, MOL...    BTW, that was Marleys inside sleeping pot all Winter.  So it got no water fer 8 MONTHS, and it still survived as soom as it was outside and gor rain!

THIS planter we knew had Caladium bulbs in it, so we just waited.   There are 4 shoots.  It was inside too all Winter, but no one slept on it.  BTW, ya may notice there are small flowers in the planter.  More about that next time.

And here is a view on our Nip Patch from above.  There are as many plants as  I have front toesies and they are 3' high now.  Fortunately, some have fallen over to make GREAT rolling-on!  Oh the sensuous vapors after rolling.  Oh the fine smells of my furs.  Oh the attention I get when I come inside and Marley and Ayla sniff me...

OH, sorry, I get a bit distracted there.  Feel free ta roll on them (and nibble) yerselfs!!!

Since we are up on the deck, lets have our snacks and treats INSIDE today!  Fer several reasons!  First, TBT harvested that Kohlrabi plant I mentioned last time, and Marley wanted ta show it off.  I'm not all that impressed, its just a small solid cabbage in the middle of a plant.  But Marley thinks it is really neat, so I indulge him.

But now lets have some treat (poached chickie breast minced with bacon) and Niptinis (fresh made with our own Nip from outside).  But also, TBT has taken 3 wand toys off the shelf and is waving them all around!  Go at them friends!!!


OMG, he has kibbles in his pocket ta toss around too...

Thank you for coming on my Garden Tour this week!

Werdless Wensday

Sleepy Tuesday

IZA:  Marley sure makes a good pillow!

I think I'll be nodding off  soon.

In fact, I think I have even though my eyes seem slightly open .  Cuz Im seeing mousies floating around in the house...

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:  Grasses purpose in life...

Is to be rolled on...

 So I indulge it!

Easy Like Sunday

AYLA:  Its not usually ME here, but today it is.  I love sittin next ta Marley.

Oh, an it is on TBTs lap.   Who doesn't like that?

Marley is so easy ta nap with.  Unlike a Sisfur I MIGHT mention...

He drapes so good.

And doesn't mind that I am next ta him.   Unlike SOMECAT!

And TBT is involved in this too...

CardDay Caturday Saturday

Sometimes, when we get eCards from friends among all the greeting comments on our Special Days, we dont think to acknowledge the efforts ta make the cards. 

So...  We were looking back and noticed that this morning.  And we want to acknoWOWledge those now.  Hey was that good or what?

But here are 2 we found back up...

I (Ayla) loved this card.  The cake was cute, the number 9  was a really good touch, and while the pink outsides looked like walnuts, they were actually crushed Nip Leafs!  And the insides were Salmon... 

And the whole card was just SO special!  I felt great about MY DAY!

And there was the Gotcha Day card...  Iza and Ayla (we have to write this together) loved it!  Having our Gotcha Day the same day (though a year apart) is unusual, but it amused TBT ta arrange it that way.  Purrsonally, we think he did it ta keep things easier fer him ta remember (he did the same with Skeeter and LC - The Cats Who Came Before).

But regardless, the card was utterly lovely and right for the season, too!  That shows some care.

Thank you for both the cards and previous ones), the former WeBeesSiameezers and now Meezer's Mews & Freckles Woofs

If you haven't visited them, go visit them now!

Freaky Friday TV Time

AYLA:  I get a bit ecited when I see cats on TV.  Especially iffen they are unusual cats.  Like this one.  I dint know it was a cat at first, but the ears and eyes made me think it might be.

And I wasnt sure even with another picture.  

But then they started showing it better.  It was clearer on the TV than the picture shows.   But really, ya cant mistake a cat.  We ARE kinna unique!

"The Look" really proves it too.  

But what REALLY innerested me was the EARS!  The ears of THAT one are amazing.  I dint even unnerstand that the name of it was RIGHT THERE cuz Ive never seen that word.  But TBT helped me out by saying it fer me.  "car-a-cal".  I have ta remember that cuz it is the bigger-than-me cat I most admire now!

Hey lady, get back to the cat!  I dont need ta see YOU.

So annyway, these car-a-cal cats have huge ears for hearin tinier sounds than me, they can jump way better than even *I* can, an they can catch hummingbirds in the air.  Not that I actally want us cats ta catch hummingbirds (cuz I admire them little fast guys so much), but that they CAN is pawsome!

They average about 20 pounds (less than 2x Marley's size), but they can jump 14 feet up (more than 2x what Marley or even *I* can jump.  That is higher per size than anny other cat!  No wonder I admire them so much. 

I wanna see MORE TV shows about them.  Oh, um, yeah, TBT liked the show too...

Garden Tour Thursday

IZA:   Hi - welcome to my Thursday Garden Tour!  Ya caught me checking the Nip Patch.  Tuesdays storm was heavy rain (we got 1.5" in 30 minutes) so Im making sure they are OK.  But we'll get back to them after the tour... 

First, our Hydrangeas are blooming.  They are COOL.  The flowers open up green...

And then turn brighty whitey!

The whole row of them is nice too. 

The Purple Coneflowers are just beginnin ta bloom.  This is the first one, and the petals arent even unrolled yet.  Ya dont get to see THAT very often!

The 1st Stokes Aster opened today too.  Inna few days, there will be LOTS more!

This was a surprise I noticed yesserday.  Its called Butterfly Weed.  TBT planted a dozen there last year and nothing came of them, but apparently this single one survived and is blooming.   Ive told TBT ta try again, because butterflys DO seem ta like it a lot and he has seen lots of small native bees on it too.

This one is unidentified .  It is one of a wildflower mix, and the package doesnt identify the seeds.  Like many small-flowered wildflowers, they seem ta look blurry close up, but hard ta see from a few feet away.

This is some natural wildflower (as in "we dint plant it").  Some kind of wild daisy.  But it looks nice and helps hide an area where TBT dint weed this Spring.

Another unknown wildflower from the package.   We are hoping fer more of them as Summer goes along.  

We THINK this one is actally a weed (cuz we have seen it elsewhere around the yard), but the wildflower bed is so devoid of flowers so far that we are leaving it this year. 

This isnt ezactly a flower, but it IS really neat.  TBT left the garden enclosure door open today just so we can see it.  Its a Kohlrabi.  It grows an edible (to Beins) ball in the middle of the stem about the size of a tennis ball.  TBT says it tastes like a broccoli stalk, but sweeter and it is solid.

Now lets go back ta the Nip Patch.  Cuz thats our treats fer today.  I decided ta do something differnt!  There is PLENTY ta nibble on, and since the rain knocked some tall stems down, we can even ROLL all over it.  And ta drink, we have water.  But not just ANNY water!  This is pure clean rainwater that TBT caught in nice clean bowls he set out on the lawn when he heard it was going to rain a lot Tuesday.  We have 2 quarts/liters of it!

I know that seems like simple fare, but it is all organic, and I thought a change from "the usual" would be nice.

Thanks so much fer comin on my Garden Tour this week!

Watched One Wensday

MARLEY:  Yeah, Iza was intently watching Ayla, sitting innocently on the ladder next ta the fishie tank!  She was watching Iza watchihg HER.

But she was there ta innocently watch the fishies.  And I say "innocently" honestly.  We all watch the fishies but TBT has never noticed one actually missing.  Anny that die are found inside, dead...

But it is never a good thing fer her when Iza gets that "antelope in the lioness's gaze" look.

So she went at sat next ta TBT fer a while, Iza lost innerest, and I could finally relax...